Cold Shoulder
by PrincessofBadLuck
Summary: Yuffie aided Vincent in Deepground's destruction. He even saved her from Nero's darkness there. So why is he giving her the cold shoulder? What did she do wrong? Or is it something else? Yuffentine!


Sweat dripped down my brow as I slashed through another Deepground soldier. It seemed like they were endless and they came out of nowhere! But I had a goal in mind, I had to go shut off that reactor. Then I had to meet up with Vincent and help him defeat that Weiss guy.

I ran through the streets of the Deepground town slightly disturbed and vaguely felt pity for its inhabitants. Many of them had never seen sunlight, never felt the rain on their skin or the comforting touch of a mother's love. No wonder, they went crazy. As sad as it was, they were merely victims of the cruel corporation that now lay in ruins. Even though I wished we could just help them move on in life, that wasn't happening. Whatever horrors those soldiers went through had changed them for good. Instead of rejoicing when they found their freedom they killed. They slaughtered so many innocent people, and they bathed in their blood. And they liked it. It was all they knew, as Rosso the Crazy said. Well, that wasn't her name, but she was a certified nut job. And no I'm not just calling her that cuz she almost killed Vincent! Ok well maybe I am, but I'd still think she was crazy for trying to wake Omega. I mean really, what was up with evil villains trying to wreak havoc on the world? Couldn't they find a more creative way to cause evil? Like maybe stealing everyone's matching pairs of socks? I swear that always bugs me when I get dressed in the morning.

I heard gun shots in the distance and figured Vincent was on his way to our rendezvous point. I put on some more speed, wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible. With time to spare after I shut off the reactor, I made it to the place I was supposed to meet Vincent. But it wasn't safe for me to just stand there in the open like that, soldiers were coming and going frequently, and I didn't know how long it'd take Vince to get to me. I didn't want to run the risk of being out numbered. Not when we were so close to our target and Vincent needed all the help he could get. So when the hallway was empty, I jumped toward the metal pipes that made their way up the wall and hid in the top part of them. Waiting for Vincent to come. It didn't take him long. In fact, I hadn't even had a chance to call out to him before he noticed me. Whatever experiments Hojo did on him really enhanced his senses. Before he'd come, dozens of Deepground soldiers passed by me. After all I was a ninja! Stealth was second nature to me.

"Yuffie,"

he said simply as I blinked from the rafters in surprise before jumping down. I studied him a bit,

"You don't seem too roughed up."

He glanced at me,

"Neither do you."

We continued on to Weiss and found out…he was dead! All this time their leader was a dead guy? And then his brother was claiming they'd bring him back to life. Didn't the same thing happen a year ago with the remnants? Why is there a reoccurring trend here?

I didn't really have time to think further because Weiss was waking up and Vincent and I got ready to fight him. Then his brother pitched a fit and the next thing I knew I was swimming in darkness!

At first I wasn't scared, just kinda confused. After all, when I was first swallowed by it nothing really happened to me besides floating around in the dark. But then the voices started. Something about them, though I didn't understand them, brought back every bad feeling and memory I'd ever experienced. I was terrified; I thought I was losing my mind! The darkness also intensified my fear and sense of direction. Just when I thought I was about to break, Vincent saved me. I don't think I'd ever felt more relieved in my life. He may think himself a monster but I know he isn't. Because when he came into the darkness to save me, I saw light around him, not darkness. How could a monster have a light that shined that bright? I'll always remember that he came for me. That he cared, despite the fact that he always tried to pretend he didn't. And I hoped, despite all odds, that maybe, just maybe he'd love me back someday.

It's been a week since Vincent returned from his battle with Omega, but…he seems troubled. Not by his past, because I'd talked to Shelke, and she said that when he emerged from Lucrecia's cave he seemed at peace. It seems like it's because of me. The moment he walked into Seventh Heaven since his return he's been distant towards me. If he wasn't Vincent Valentine, I'd even say he'd been avoiding me. All I got upon his return after my excessive annoyances was a

"Hello, Yuffie."

Then he went to the guest bedroom Tifa made up for him, and didn't speak to me for the rest of the night! It's been like that for the past week, and even when I pass by him in the WRO headquarters, he doesn't even look at me anymore! I bet he's thinking that me falling into Nero's darkness is another "sin" of his. Yeah, that's totally how he'd think. He's probably trying to keep away from me to "protect me, or prevent me from being tainted by his presence," whatever that means. Unless he's oozing Malboro guts, I don't see how he's going to taint me with anything. Well I'm sick of it! This ends today!

I strode into the WRO with a purpose today: to get whatever was bugging Vincent out of his system. He would talk to me and I would get to the bottom of this. No one ignores the White Rose of Wutai! I'd heard from Reeve that Vincent was going in today to be debriefed after a recent mission, so I knew I could corner him. I walked to the conference room that Reeve had told me about the day before. When I reached for the doorknob, I paused. Taking a deep breath I composed my thoughts and walked in, knowing I'd have ten minutes before Reeve would get there. He'd told me to patch things up with Vincent and allowed me the extra time to do so.

Vincent's eyes widened briefly in surprise before his face regain its usual blank expression.

"Yuffie, what are you doing here?"

he asked. I closed the door softly before walked over to him,

"We need to talk,"

I sighed a bit when I said this. He raised a brow,

"About?" I bit my lip, "Why are you avoiding me? Have I done something wrong?"

He looked kind of startled,

"Why would you think you've done something wrong?"

I looked at him sadly,

"Because every time I come into Seventh Heaven you just stay up in your room and you won't even look at me when I see you!"

Vincent spoke,

"Yuffie, back in Deepground…"

My eyes flashed angrily,

"Damn it Vincent! It's not your fault I was sucked into Nero's darkness! I mean the jerk was ten feet away from us, he couldn't have missed at that range!"

I jabbed my finger at him,

"If this is another one of your self-imposed sins, you can drop it right now! I'm sick of it! Stop avoiding me like your presence is evil or something! You're my friend and care about you, and,"

I started to choke on my words a bit. "I thought that maybe after you got over everything in your past, you could love me."

I clapped my hands over my mouth; I hadn't meant to say that! Embarassed, I tried to rush out the door but Vincent caught my wrist. I kept my gaze to the floor, mortified and certain he'd say something like he was the devil or that his failure to protect me was another sin. Instead I felt his gauntlet hand rest on my arm and his other hand placed gently on my cheek. I looked up in surprise at him.

"Yuffie, he said, his eyes filling with an emotion I didn't recognize, did you mean what you said?"

I swallowed,

"Yes,"

unable to say more and fearing rejection at any minute. Instead I was embraced by the lone gunman and held to his muscular chest. My heart felt like it was going to burst at the next words out of his mouth,

"I feel exactly the same."

He kissed the top of my head before he pulled away slightly to look me in the eyes,

"The reason I avoided you, was because...I was afraid that if I spent too much time around you, I'd finally tell you how I felt, and I,"

he looked down ashamed.

"I don't think I could've handled rejection again."

My eyes started to tear up a little,

"Oh Vince, you're so silly!" I hugged him fiercely,

"There's no way I'd ever reject you!"

We walked through the halls of through WRO hand in hand. Needless to say that caused a few raised brows and incredulous looks. Reeve was walking toward us and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"Hey Reeve, I said cheerfully, looks like you'll have to debrief Vincent some other time!"

I waved to my shocked boss and friend as I walked out into the sunshine with _my_ gunman. We were off on our first date, and where that would take us was anyone's bet.

Author's notes

Hope you guys liked it! It seemed a bit scatterbrained at parts, (but Yuffie kinda thinks like that) so I hope it didn't confuse you! Reviews please. 3


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